This week, April 8 – 12, Drury hosted a “Sexual Assault Awareness” week wherein campus and community organizations came together to educate Drury students about sexual assault. With the help of Panthers for Prevention (P4P), Student Government Association (SGA) and Me Too Springfield, Drury students had opportunities to learn about this serious problem.

Sunday: PowerWalk

The week unofficially began on Sunday, April 7, with Me Too Springfield’s PowerWalk. This was the organization’s first PowerWalk, which was designed to protest victim blaming and slut shaming as well as demonstrate support for survivors of sexual assault.

The event’s Facebook page explained more fully what Me Too Springfield hoped to accomplish:

“PowerWalk is a reclamation of the streets. PowerWalk demands that all bodies are worthy of respect. No person deserves to be sexually assaulted, harassed or afraid to walk down the street. We demand an end to victim-blaming and rape culture. We are prepared to provide the necessary tools to bring positive change to our community. With PowerWalk, we declare a radical, unapologetic self-love. Through recognition of differences, we will come together and stand in solidarity with one another. Our race, class, gender, sexual orientation, ability, sexual history, or clothes do not make us blameworthy.”

Me Too Springfield President Jordan Harris came to Drury’s campus on Wednesday, April 10, to host a luncheon. She explained to Drury students how they can get involved with Me Too Springfield.

“We host Open Sharing Spaces every month, that anyone is welcome to attend. No one is ever pressured to share; they can just come to listen and be surrounded by people who support them if they wish. Our Open Sharing Space this month will be held on April 24 at 6 p.m. at The Library Center Community Room B. If anyone wants to keep up with us and our other events, follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter,” Harris shared.

Monday: Self-defense class

On Monday, April 8, Drury organization Panthers for Prevention hosted a self-defense class with SHARP training by Michelle Stewart. At the event, Drury students learned how they can take steps to prevent sexual assault.

For those who missed this event, Stewart offered a brief summary of how to defend oneself against an assailant:

“1. If someone grabs your wrist know that the thumb is the weakest point of the grip. Take hold of your hand that is in their grip and pull your arm towards where their thumbs meet. Once you get out, run and do not be afraid to be vocal.

2. When walking around outside, be aware. Have your keys ready in a parking lot. Do not stare at your phone. Make eye contact with anyone that seems suspicious. An attacker does not want you to know what he looks like, that way their actions can go unreported.
3. Always let someone know where you’re going. That way if you’re late they know to worry. If you’re with someone else, use the buddy system. Look out for one another.”

Maren Gillet attended the self-defense class with her Drury peers. She shared her thoughts on the event and how she feels about Sexual Assault Awareness week.

“During the lecture, the speaker gave several easy to remember ways on how to protect oneself from harm during an assault and/or battery. The actions demonstrated at the lecture were useful to everyone and were both entertaining and informational. I learned how to become more aware of my surroundings and how to defend myself in any sort of close situation with an unfamiliar individual. I also learned that Caroline Conrad is very enthusiastic when it comes to teaching others about self-defense and honestly, I’m here for it,” said Gillet.

Tuesday: Title IX forum

On Tuesday, April 9, SGA hosted a forum to provide students an opportunity to ask questions and learn about Title IX and campus safety. SGA has been planning the event since early in the spring semester.

The panelists were Tim Reese, head of the Drury Board of Trustees’ committee on campus safety; Sarene Deeds, Drury’s executive director of safety and security; Brandon Gammill, Drury’s director of facility services; and Corey Fitzpatrick, the designated Springfield police officer for Drury’s campus.

Paul Hinkle, the director of student conduct and an SGA advisor, was the moderator, and SGA President Lexi Gutierrez coordinated the forum.

Gutierrez shared why the forum was important and her vision for its success.

“We would like to offer students an opportunity to ask their questions and receive answers from people that are directly involved in these departments. We have many questions from the student body pertaining to Title IX and general campus safety, so this was a chance for them to receive the answers. SGA can answer many questions or take on suggestions for projects, but in this case, we thought we could best serve the students by providing the event and hosting a panel.”

“The purpose behind this event was to offer answers to their questions and concerns. Perhaps by knowing the actions and processes that are taken in all safety measures on campus, students will better understand what is being done to protect them,” said Gutierrez.

Wednesday: Me Too Springfield speaker

On Wednesday, April 10, Me Too Springfield speakers provided students information about consent. Students learned about consent, sexual assault and misconduct, workplace harassment and the significance of the #MeToo movement.

The president of Panthers for Prevention, Syndey Kastning, explained what she hoped students learned from the week’s events.

“Hopefully, students walk away with a new view on how to handle sexual assault and how to properly listen to a survivor of it. P4P’s goal is to assure those that have experienced sexual assault that we do not believe that it is their fault. With everything else those students have to deal with, we want to be supportive and hope that they can come to our faculty in confidence that they can get the help they need.”

“We know the current climate is disappointed with how things are handled, but we hope by showing P4P and Drury is keeping up with the current movements that it will show the students that we are trying to work with both them and the current laws,” said Kastning.

Friday: #MeToo banner

Today, Friday, April 12, Sexual Assault Awareness week concludes with students signing a #MeToo banner. Last year, students may remember signing a banner that read, “It’s On Us,” but this was changed to reflect a changing culture.

“This year we changed the theme to ‘Me Too’ instead of ‘It’s On Us’. This was to update how we view sexual assault, and while we still need to take responsibility for helping to prevent it, we now want to focus on how prevalent it is and then take steps to stop it,” Kastning shared.

Student reactions to Sexual Assault Awareness week

Students have mixed feelings about the Sexual Assault Awareness week. While most students are happy that this issue is receiving attention, some think the approach could be different.

“I am in agreement with many people on campus when I say that the Sexual Assault Awareness week is incredibly important for our campus. It’s been proven over and over that rape and sexual assault are such large problems on college campuses throughout the U.S., and the same can be said for Drury. However, awareness is not the most important aspect at this point. Prevention is the most important aspect,” said Michael Havens.

As Havens alluded, recent sexual assault allegations on campus are fresh in students’ minds. This can impact how students feel about how the university handles this topic.

Student Lucy Shaver is creating a podcast for her media writing class about Title IX processes and sexual assault. For the podcast, she has interviewed people involved with the topic, but prefers to remain unbiased for now.

“My opinion on the administration is in the middle right now. So far, I have heard both sides: the administration and students. I am having a lot of mixed feelings about everything. I hope what I have heard from the students is not true, and Drury has not been disregarding reports. I want to believe that I am at a university that follows through on reports like these. I am unsure where to stand on this right now because we are still doing interviews,” said Shaver.

The hope is that Sexual Assault Awareness week helped foster a more positive climate on campus. With the help of SGA, P4P and Me Too Springfield, students were able to question the administration, gain confidence in self-defense and show their support for those affected by sexual assault. While some students have expressed disappointment in Drury’s current environment, others think that this week has shown a more comprehensive approach to sexual assault awareness and prevention.

Written by Ciera DuBan.